Project Fairy Tales
by ButterflyMiko
Summary: Working with forces he does not understand, Rie's brother Toshio has unleashed the Homunculi on his world. In doing so, he endangers his sister, who is attacked and nearly killed by Lust, infuriating the Elric brothers, and Nori, Rie's sister.
1. Prelude of Defiance

Rie Korihiya stood frozen in the doorway. Her grey eyes were wide with fear. A moment passed as she took in what she was seeing.

"L-Lust?" she whispered.

The beautiful black-clad woman turned. She was standing on a well-like opening in the ground, out of which was shining an inexplicable light. This light on her face made her features seem exaggerated, terrifying, to young Rie.

She seemed disoriented, but upon seeing the young woman who knew her by sight, she focused on finding out where she was by force, if necessary.

"What an exotic color that is," Lust said, referring to Rie's disheveled white-colored pigtails. She shot her nails forward, catching the woman's neck in between. "Now…where am I? Answer quickly."

Rie flinched, tilting her head to avoid being sliced. A feeling of fear filled her in response at first, freezing her from head to toe. But then, miraculously, a feeling of defiance grabbed hold of her. She glared at Lust.

"Kill me if you will," she hissed. "But that will hardly help you. I alone know the nature of your condition."

Lust tensed, then laughed slightly, pulling back, and then stabbing Rie in the abdomen. "I like defiant humans. They are much more worth my time. Now tell me."

Rie grabbed her stomach and slid down the wall. Blood began to color her pale skin and as she fell to one side, it ran towards her white hair, staining it red as well.

"Can't you speak?" Lust said softly. "Such a waste. I really did like the looks of you."

She stepped over Rie and walked away.

Rie called up all her strength and let out a scream. "NII-SAN!"

Nori grimaced at her computer. The virus scanner was acting up again, and she was really getting sick of it.

"I don't see why it keeps saying it's clean when I know it has viruses!" she yelled, frustrated.

Roy Mustang came in the room, holding a cell phone. He looked panicked. "Nori! Korihiya-imoto is in the hospital!"

Nori jumped up, closing her computer with a 'snap.' She grabbed her keys off the desk.

"There's one more thing, Nori," Roy said. "I got the call from Fullmetal. He sounded upset, as if he was there when Kori-imoto got hurt."

Nori's eyes widened in alarm. "But if he was there, then where is Toshio?"

She shook with worry, and began scurrying around in a panic. "I have to find him!"

Roy put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure Kori-nii will be at the hospital with the others."

"And if he's not?" Nori snapped, her face drawn with worry. "Toshio could have been taken by whoever attacked Rie-san!"

She started unpacking and repacking a bag full of essentials. She was muttering to herself all the things she would need to go and find him. Her hands were still shaking, but suddenly they were caught in Roy's strong grasp.

"Calm down, Nori. One thing…" he took the keys from her hands and kissed her forehead. "…at a time. I'll drive. Let's go now."

He led his panicked girlfriend to the car and opened the door for her, gently helping her in and wiping a stray tear from her eye.

A moment later Roy occupied the driver's seat and they were driving off toward the hospital at less-than-safe speeds.

Ed sat sadly next to Al in the Emergency Room. The second the doctors had found out he and Al weren't family of Rie, they had made them sit outside.

She was in Intensive Care. Ed had never seen someone get strapped to so many wires.

And the blood…he hadn't seen that much blood since the day he had tried to transmute his mother.

He sat there, bangs covering his eyes, hoping that somehow she would make it.

He and Al had heard a woman's voice screaming when they entered the strange world. She was calling for her brother.

Ed had caught Rie as she lost her grip on the door. He knew her name on instinct for some reason. When he saw the blood, he had taken off his jacket and tied it tight around her to stop the bleeding somehow. But no matter what he did, he felt the steady beating of her heartbeat as her life's blood poured onto the concrete basement floor.

"Al, call an ambulance!" He had yelled to his younger brother.

And now here they were, waiting to hear something.

"Brother…" Al asked softly. "Will she live? I've never seen so much blood…"

Ed looked at his little brother and saw that he was shaking with anxiety from the event. Ed found that he had no words of comfort to give him.

"We can't…do anything more…" Ed whispered. "We've done all we can for her."

That's when he realized that he was shaking too.

Suddenly the doors burst open and a man with white hair like Rie's entered. He ran to the desk. "Korihiya Rie! Where is she? Where is my sister?"

"Please calm down sir, " said the nurse. After taking identification, she nodded. "Korihiya-san is in the ICU. You will be admitted, since you are her brother. Will you grant admittance to these two?"

She indicated Ed and Al.

"I am Edward Elric," Ed said, standing and feeling his fists clench. "And this is my brother Al. I don't know what the hell you're doing in that lab of yours, but getting your sister nearly killed because of it really makes me sick! What kind of brother are you?"

"Brother!" Al said, pulling him back slightly.

"No," the man said. "Ed is right. I never could take care of her. She's too stubborn to let me. My name is Korihiya Toshio. You may come see her now."

"Kaa-san? Kaa-san?" whispered Rie hoarsely.

Her eyes followed the light the doctor shone into them.

"Korihiya-san," the doctor said. "Your brother is here. And so are your friends."

Rie sat up slowly. Upon seeing Toshio, she slapped him hard across the face. "Arrogant bastard! What were you thinking, leaving it open like that! Anyone could have come through! It could have happened again, you hear me?"

Toshio held up a hand and her words died. "I'm sorry, imouto-san."

"I'm sorry too, Rie," Ed said to her. "If I had gotten there sooner—"

"Then she would have sliced you to bits as well," Rie cut him off.

"Wait, 'she'?" Ed asked.

"Who did this, Rie-san?" asked Al.

"It was—" Rie began but the door opened.

Nori ran to the bed. "You look awful!"

"Yeah well you've seen better days, Nori-chan," replied Rie tersely.

Nori glared at Rie. "Don't call me –chan! And don't act all careless about this! You got hurt, idiot!"

"Yeah," Rie said. "But it was my bad really. I should have known better than to sass Lust."

There was a stunned silence in the room.

"You saw Lust?" Roy asked. "She's the one who did this?"

Toshio ran a hand through his hair. "And if she's here, the rest aren't far behind. No guessing, imoto-san. They're working for Tou-san now."


	2. Schwanensee

Three days passed without much consequence. Rie did not pass into infection, and she healed quickly.

Whether out of guilt or real worry, Ed came back with Al every day to look after her.

Toshio stopped him at the door on the third day. "Why do you keep coming back? You aren't obligated to my sister. Why don't you go home, Roy and Nori have been asking to look after her."

"No," Ed said quietly. "If I had gotten there sooner, she wouldn't be like this."

"She hasn't even woken up in three days," said Al. "What are we going to do?"

Ed brushed a piece of hair behind her ear. His hand lingered for a moment on her face.

A man entered. Toshio stiffened and bowed. "Hello, Tou-san."

"Leave the room, son," the man said. Toshio left and Ed and Al remained. The man turned to Ed and Al, a smile on his face. "Would you kindly give me a moment with my daughter? I promise I will come and get you right away if she wakes."

Ed nodded, and took Al into the hallway. Once they entered, Al looked at Ed.

"His smile didn't reach his eyes," Al said softly. "I don't like that man, brother."

Ed sighed. "I don't either, but Toshio left her alone with him, so he must trust him a little."

The man exited the room. "Ah. Edward and Alphonse, correct?"

Ed looked at the man. Ed kept his guard up; something about this man was very dangerous. "How do you know us?"

The man waved him off. "My name is Oroshio Shanya. My son and daughter took their mother's maiden name, as she was from a prestigious Japanese family. Rie is waking up now, so why don't you go in there and see her?"

Rie opened her eyes to find a necklace around her neck. It had a small white feather inside it.

'You will not be able to remove me until your love has been returned, little ahiru.' Came a small voice, whether within her head or not.

"Rie!" Ed entered. "You are awake!"

He ran up to Rie and looked her over. "Did your father hurt you?"

"N-No…" Rie whispered. "He said something in some other language and I woke up. He gave me this necklace. He always does weird stuff. Ever since I was little."

"His smile…" Al said. "It doesn't reach his eyes."

Rie laughed a bit. "That's just what Nori said when she first met him."

There was a bit of a silence, then a nurse entered. "I have your discharge papers, Korihiya-san."

Rie signed them, and Toshio entered, helping her into a wheelchair.

"Will you two be staying with us then?" Rie asked Ed and Al.

"Yes! Toshio wanted you to have some company," Al said. "Since he has to go to work. You work with your father, right, Toshio?"

Toshio nodded, helping his sister into their car. "I'm taking the other car. Roy and Nori will drive you home."

He put a blanket over his sister. "Now you two sit next to her and give her as much body heat as possible. We don't need her getting a cold too."

Rie groaned, putting a hand on her stomach. Ed got in the car, and checked her wound. "Do you need your medicine now, Rie? The doctor gave it to me."

Rie grabbed Ed's arm. "I-I'll be fine, Edo-kun…can I hold on to you?"

"I-I…" Ed turned bright red. Her grip was very tight. And she had called him by a nickname. "Yeah, sure you can. And Rie…you don't...I mean if I had gotten there sooner—"

"Brother, don't talk like that!" Al said.

Rie glared at him. "Ed…there's no way you could've stopped her! If you and Al had been there, she would have hurt you too! And…is that why you kept visiting me? You felt like you were to blame?"

"Brother was also really worried," Al said.

"Al!" Ed yelled. "Why'd you tell her that?"

"It's true, though, isn't it?" Nori said, getting into the driver's seat. "You were more worried than any of us."

Rie's mind took her back to when she had woken earlier and Ed had said to her in elevated tones 'did your father hurt you?' It was strange; for the first time in a long time, she had wanted to tell him what had really happened between Tou-san and her behind that closed door.

But that was something even she was uncertain of.

Her hand dropped to his and slid into its grasp. Ed looked at her, blushing, and also surprised. "What're you—"

"I was really scared," Rie said, lowering her voice so only he could hear. "I guess you didn't know what to say. But I heard you talking. I couldn't move, but I heard you reciting the laws of alchemy. It was strangely comforting. So thanks."

Ed laughed a little as the small car pulled up at the Korihiya estate. "I'm an alchemist. I don't know any stories to tell you that would be comforting so I just recited. I was really just trying to make myself feel better."

Roy got the wheelchair out of the trunk and wheeled it up to the door after Ed got out, but Rie shook her head stubbornly. "I'm no invalid, Roy."

"But Rie, you could re-open your wounds!" Al protested. "You're just as bad as brother!"

Ed and Nori laughed.

"Alright, Kori-imoto," Roy said softly. "Fullmetal, help her inside. Your rooms have been prepared."

Ed and Al each took one side of Rie, and she leaned on them both as they went inside.

After Ed and Al had been shown to their rooms, and they had made sure that Rie was asleep in her own room, there was a knock at the door.

Ed got up from where he had been halfway dozing and answered the door.

Rie was standing there. She was holding a tray of food and looked slightly shaken up and pale.

"What's wrong, Rie?" Ed asked. "Al's asleep, so maybe we should eat in the kitchen."

They went into the kitchen and Rie set the tray down. "I made you some sandwiches and cocoa. It's so cold outside that…"

She started coughing. And coughing. And coughing. Suddenly she sneezed and there was a little poof! Sitting on Ed's head was a small yellow duck


	3. Black Swan

Intro

"What…just happened?" Ed said, taking the little bird into his hands. It was a duck, a little fluffy yellow duck. It had a tuft of white at the top of its head.

Rie, for her part, was totally gone. It didn't take a genius to put two and two together.

"Quack! Quack Quack Quack Quack!" screeched the duck. It jumped down into his pocket and popped out, pulling at his pocketwatch.

Ed snatched it from her beak. "Rie…what do you want with that?"

Rie pecked at his fingers and bit the pocketwatch. "Quack!"

"Let go!" Ed yelled. "Leave that alone damn it!" He shook her off, and she fell to the floor.

"Qua-ack…" she stood with her hands on her hips, looking quite comical. "Quack!"

"Oh…" Ed muttered. "You want me to open it? Why?"

"QUACK!" yelled Rie, pointing to herself with a yellow wing.

He sighed and carefully forced it open. There was a flash of white light, and Rie appeared, in human form, but wearing a gown of white feathers. "Ugh! What the hell is this supposed to be? I'll kill that damn Shanya!"

Ed looked at her, a picture of confusion. "Did you really just turn into a duck…and back again?"

Rie sighed. "I'll only be human as long as the pocketwatch remains open. But during the daytime I am granted humanity as long as—"

"What?" Ed said, steeling himself for some kind of terrible catch.

"As long as my heart isn't broken," Rie said.

Ed paused, then started laughing. "Seriously? And then you'll tell me that you have to be kissed to break the spell!"

Rie nodded. "This isn't a joke."

Ed stopped laughing when he saw the look on her face. She really was serious.

"When I was a little girl, my mother tried to kill my older sister," Rie said softly. "I thought she was crazy for the longest time…but…my brother Toshio woke up screaming one night. He couldn't tell me what had happened, but he could tell me that our father used fairy tales to control people."

"That doesn't make sense," Ed replied. "He doesn't have a reason. And the man I met at the hospital doesn't seem the type to do anything without getting a profit out of it."

"Yes, exactly," Rie replied. She pointed out her necklace. "This feather has bonded to me and me alone. But if I die, this feather will become the most powerful item on earth. It will have the power to grant any mortal a single wish with the exception that it must be a wish of a pure heart. The twin, the black feather, grants dark wishes."

"Wait…" Ed said. "So your father is going to sacrifice you to get a wish? Th-that…"

"I-I know," Rie said, looking down sadly.

She looked so sad that Ed couldn't help but to walk over and pat her on the head. He couldn't bring himself to hug her though. She was in this mess because of him. It was his fault really.

To his surprise, she wrapped her arms around his waist in a hug, burying her head in his chest.

"I don't really want to ask but…" Rie whispered. "Any chance you have feelings for me?"

"W-What?" Ed yelled, a blush coloring his cheeks. "You…I mean…huh?"

Rie facepalmed, giggling a little. "I won't make you say it, Ed. But if you want me human for good, you'll have to kiss me.

"No…" Ed said. "I won't kiss you unless I mean it."

"It won't work unless you mean it," replied Rie solemnly. "And I wouldn't expect you to understand romantic love, alchemist."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ed asked, annoyed.

"It means, Edward, that you are a hopeless boy," Rie said, snapping the pocketwatch shut herself and transforming once more into a duck.

Ed walked over to little Rie and picked her up. "You don't have to be so independent, especially not in that form. I said I wouldn't kiss you until I meant it. It just means I have to think about it. So stop jumping to conclusions."

Rie quacked and jumped on his head, curling up and tucking her head within her wing.

"Hey!" Ed said, a bit of a blush coloring his cheeks. "Y-You can't sleep up there!"

He picked her up off his head and took her to his room. Al was already asleep; and so was Rie, for that matter.

What if she wakes up? I could put her in her room, but then she'll be alone when she wakes up and what if she's still a duck? How will she get off the bed? And I can't put her in Toshio's room, he might sit on her. I guess I'll just put her on this chair next to the bed. That way no one will squish her.

He set her on the chair and laid down to go to sleep. He closed his eyes and started to fall asleep.

The Pas de Deux

Rie woke up at around three in the morning. Ed was sitting next to the window, staring out it. He looked upset.

Rie sighed, but it came out as a 'quack.' Thankfully Ed didn't hear her.

She couldn't see all of his face, but from what she could see, he was about to cry.

She stood, wobbling on her webbed feet, and slid down the side of the chair. She then waddled across the room awkwardly and made it to the window seat. She nipped at his bare feet.

He sighed and picked her up, putting her in his lap. He patted her on her little head. Her presence alone was some comfort to him.

He didn't like to worry his brother with his nightmares or anything, but this girl...it was easy to pretend she was just a small bird cuddled up in his lap.

They sat like that until he fell asleep. She curled up next to him on the windowsill, in case she transformed while still asleep.

Entrée de Black Swan

Nori had received a strange gift from Mr. Shanya. She didn't want to refuse a gift from the eccentric billionaire, as he was prone to fits of rage and there were rumors that he had killed his own wife, and she had half a mind that he wasn't too kind to Rie and Toshio.

The gift had been a necklace with a black feather in it. Upon putting it on however, she had felt invincible, powerful, and in charge.

She and Roy arrived home late that night after doing some last minute Christmas errands, as the hospital thing had thrown her Christmas list off schedule.

Roy stopped her as they were finishing. "You seem tense. Why are you working so hard?"

"I have to finish things quickly," Nori replied. "I'm throwing a Christmas party tomorrow. But I told Rie I'd pretend to be her so you'll be hanging with her all night. If she shows up; you know how she is."

"What?" Roy said. "You're talking different. Are you feeling alright?"

He reached out to feel her forehead, but she shied away. "Help me decorate."

She pulled out the tinsel and mistletoe, and hung it all up surprisingly quickly, and suddenly Roy caught her hand and pulled her against him under the mistletoe and kissed her deeply.

She pulled back, giggling. "Bad luck isn't it? Not to kiss under the mistletoe. I see some teasing opportunities opening up here."

Roy looked at her carefully. Her white hair was all tied up at the top of her head, but she was still wearing that trinket from Shanya-sama. He reached out for it, and a hiss escaped her lips.

He stared at her. "This necklace needs to come off. I don't really believe in voodoo but it's affecting you somehow."

As he watched, the necklace gave off a strange glow and suddenly black seeped into his vision. "Nori! Nori don't-"

He was cut off by her hand over his mouth. Nori dragged him into the spare room and locked him in. That spell will last as long as the party lasts. And that's all I need.

She tapped the locket and transformed into a double of Rie, down to the stubborn glare and the pigtails.

Black Swan Pas de Deux

Rie and Ed came over to Nori's house at about seven. The sun had set, so he held his pocketwatch open so she would stay human.

When they got inside, he put it on the table, and seemingly forgot it. Normally, Edward Elric would never forget his pocketwatch, but as he had been pulled into the enchantment, he was dragged into the festivities. This may also have been why no one noticed the disappearance of Roy Mustang.

"Rie! Will you go to the cellar and get us some cokes?" called Nori, a half-smirk on her face as the curse took hold.

"Sure," Rie said, and walked down into the celler. Suddenly there was a slam as the cellar door closed behind her. It scared her and made her jump a bit, but soon she was fine as she searched for drinks.

She found them, and walked back up the stairs, and opened the door, but there was a sudden flash and she was reduced to duck form.

Ed must've forgotten and put the watch in his pocket.

She waddled to the living room. To her surprise, Nori was there, dressed as her! She looked just like Rie, but her hair was a shade darker. No amount of magic could fix that, because, as her mother said, 'magic in the blood takes the color out of the hair.' That's why no one could mimic Rie's hair color. It was a magic form.

Ed was talking to Nori. He must think she's me! But she's not—

They were standing—straight under the mistletoe! Wait. Did Nori plan this? What is that look on her face? That smug smirk. Wait—does she like Ed?

She poked him and pointed upward. He laughed a little and blushed. And then he did it. He kissed her. The Black Swan had triumphed.

Rie passed out.

Coda

Rie's eyes opened. She was surrounded by Roy, Ed, Al, and Toshio.

"She's awake!" exclaimed Ed cheerfully. "It's a Christmas Miracle!"

"It's hardly that, Brother," replied Al. "You gave her CPR for forty-five minutes, keeping air in her lungs till the EMT's arrived. And even then they had to pry you off her."

"Al!" Ed yelled, popping his brother on the head. "Why are you so chatty?"

"The necklace?" Rie whispered.

"I got it," Ed said. "I had the Colonel pick it up using his gloves in case. He took Nori's off and she got a lot nicer."

"Hey…" Rie said softly. "How did you know?"

Ed shrugged. "You would never look at me the way she was. Or force me to kiss you. I knew there was something wrong. And then you transformed back into you and I knew that fairy tale stuff you had been saying was all true."

Nori suddenly walked in, led by Roy. "I'm s-so sorry! I-I was being c-controlled I know it! I would never…h-hurt you!"

Rie took Nori's hand in both of hers. "I know. I know."

She explained the fairy tale magic to all of them. "We were trapped in a presentation of Schwanensee, known in America as 'Swan Lake.'"

"Well?" Roy asked. "Aren't you going to go with us to your father and strip him of this power?"

"No," Rie said. "That would be useless. He has thrown us around for all of my childhood and he would have no trouble throwing you around as well. He has great power and great wealth; a lethal combination. We need the items to fight him."

"Items?" Nori and Al chimed.

"The necklaces," Toshio said. "They grant wishes. In each fairy tale is one or two items of value. But you have to live the tale to gain the items."

Rie sighed. "Nori…Roy…you two will be in the next one. I can sense it."


End file.
